C-WW I am confused and maybe someone can help. Is there a formula for grade percentage? I would like to raise my track 7 inches in 9 feet and would like to know what percentage that works out to. This is for HO of course. thanks in advance. [ March 28, 2006, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: watash ]
The formula for calculating a grade in any scale is Rise/Run. In your case, this is 7/108 (9 feet * 12 inches/ft)= 6.48%. Seems a mite steep to me. Is there any way you can reduce that? Pat ------------------ Wishin' I wasn't so far from the railroad...
A one per cent grade is one foot rise in one hundred feet, so 2% is then two feet up in one hundred feet, etc. You might have room to make a switch-back half way up? Maybe two? It can be fun like on the real railroads where this feature was required; to pull several cars up past a turnout, throw the switch,then push the cars up to the top and go back down for some more cars, repeating until all the train is on top! ------------------ Watash #982 [This message has been edited by watash (edited 30 December 2000).]
Thanks Pat. What I am trying to accomplish is avoiding a duckunder when entering the room. My layout room is 12x14 with a few minor obstacles including a closet (which I have tunneld through) and an entry door in the corner of the room. The closet which is 9ft. away from the door includes a drain pipe that limits the height of the roadbed to 48 in. at that point. I am just trying to get as high as I can at the door to avoid doing the limbo when entering the room. I have a few options like rerouting the main line to the center of the room and using a drop bridge which will open up the old main trackage for a nice size yard (downside there would be dropping the bridge when hogging the yard). Or I can make the grade less ,say 3in. rise and put up with the limbo just to enter the room and leave operations open in the center. What would you or anyone else suggest? Thanks, Dale.
I'd suggest using a drop bridge at the door. They are kind of a pain but it will give you both things you want. A good grade and a clear operating area, without a big duckunder to get into the room. Besides you might just find that the duck under isn't so bad and be able to leave the bridge in place until it gets to the point where bending over is too difficult. Good luck.
I think your right UP Fan. I have been mulling this over for some time now mocking up different scenarios and have basically come to the same conclusion. I dont really care to make switchbacks as Watash suggest because I model 60's - 70's era EL and I like to be able to just railfan sometimes. I am planning an upper level single track line that I may use the switchback idea for though. Thanks for the help guy's , I am off to the layout room!!
